


My thorn-less rose (Cullen sees a secret)

by DAfan7711



Series: Dragon Age - Short stories, Vignettes [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Abusive Relationships, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 17:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4109857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DAfan7711/pseuds/DAfan7711
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Commander Cullen stumbles across a secret about the relationship between Inquisitor Rose Lavellan and Solas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My thorn-less rose (Cullen sees a secret)

**Author's Note:**

> Solas fans may want to skip this one. Trigger warning: Abusive relationships.

**My thorn-less rose (Cullen sees a secret)**

While I waited for Leliana to finish reviewing field reports with a scout, I leaned my elbows on the mahogany railing, taking a quiet moment in an otherwise busy day. Everyone spoke softly in the rotunda: the Spymaster murmured, the researcher explained she couldn’t remember why she had liked animals, Dorian scoffed to himself about the limited selection of reference books. Even the rustle of raven feathers didn’t make much of an echo off the stone walls.

From Leliana’s shrine, I caught the scent of Chantry candle stubs, flames recently snuffed out. I closed my eyes to focus on their peace, to remember a time before I’d put on a breastplate with a flaming sword.

Another deep breath to catch a whiff of aging books from the second level. And roses.

_Roses? They’re not native to these mountains._

When I opened my eyes again, I looked down to find the Inquisitor sitting with Solas on his settee. She had a pink rose in her short raven curls.

_How can I smell that from here?_

Rose Lavellan sat knee-to-knee with Solas, their foreheads almost touching, her hair overlapping his bald skull. A large tome covered their laps and they spoke so quietly not even a whisper of their breathing echoed upward.

She turned the page and gently smoothed her right hand down the vellum.

Solas grabbed her wrist and she flinched.

I bolted upright, poised to run for the stairs, but froze like a startled deer who stumbles upon a wolf’s den.

Face stern, Solas leaned even closer to speak directly in her ear. She gave one sharp nod of her head and Solas squeezed her wrist tighter—her shoulder yanked downward by the force—before releasing his grip.

She remained staring at the tome in her lap, right hand limp at her side, as he casually stood and walked out the door to the main hall.

“We’re ready,” Leliana said in her soft, strong way as she gathered up field reports from her desk. We each took an armload of papers and headed down to the war room. The ambassador joined us as we walked through her office.

A minute later, the Inquisitor joined us at the war table, her usual polite smile on her face, her voice respectfully formal. There was no outward sign she’d just had an argument with her lover—if, indeed, what I had witnessed could be called an argument.

“Certainly, Leliana, I would like the best Bard gear for Sutherland and company.” As the Inquisitor moved the little bronze piece assigned to Sutherland across the map, she caught the gold clasp of her long sleeve on the edge of the table.

“Blast.”

The clasp tripped end over end and landed in the center of the table. I picked it up and she held out her warm, steady hand, palm up, her sleeve now drooping open to show some wrist.

When I gave the clasp back to her, a chunk of red dread settled in my stomach.

Overlapping bruise marks of various aged shades covered the underside of her forearm.

“Have you been injured, Inquisitor?”

Leliana and Josephine looked up from their papers, not soon enough to see what I had seen, and the Inquisitor clasped her cuff shut again.

“We all get injured in the field, Commander. I’ll heal.

“Ambassador, how is the invitation for Halamshiral coming along?”

The rest of the meeting was business as usual until she dismissed us.

“We’ll meet at the same time tomorrow.”

Leliana stayed behind to chat with Josephine and I left the war room with my own thoughts.

My question had changed nothing in her demeanor. She’d accidentally revealed her injury and casually changed the subject like it was nothing.

In fact, nothing had changed in her demeanor since we first met at the Temple. She asked polite questions about everyone’s families and jobs, played cards or board games when invited, led from the front on each excursion and battle, and yet showed no intimate familiarity with anyone other than Solas.

She behaved as if everything was the same, nothing had changed, no danger lurked among her newfound companions.

_This intimidation, why does she allow it?_

  _She unflinchingly faces danger, stops our infighting with authority, braves any possible solution for closing the Breach._

Yesterday I saw her, without magic, fell The Iron Bull in the sparring ring. Today she’d toppled Dorian and Vivienne simultaneously with a single Flashfire.

Cassandra said the Inquisitor had killed the Abyssal High Dragon with a blade to the throat, instead of using her staff from a safe range with Varric.

I exited Josephine’s office just as Solas met the Inquisitor in the middle of the main hall. He wrapped her in a hug so tight it looked like her shoulder blades would snap together, looked over her head, and dealt me a feral stare.

I stood silent as he turned her in his arms and guided her out the front door into the cold afternoon sun.

Why hadn’t she spoken up?

_Why hadn’t I?_

**Author's Note:**

> About the title: Cullen doesn’t hear it in this story, but Solas calls Inquisitor Rose Lavellan “My thorn-less rose,” or my rose without thorns. Her defenses (thorns) have been stripped away by him and she belongs to him – not in a good way.
> 
> In-game flirting with Solas includes him telling you it would be fascinating to see you dominated. He refers to your focus as “it,” but it is clear here and in his other assertions that he means you (To see and hear more, search for “Dragon Age Solas flirt” on YouTube):
> 
> "Your indomitable focus is an enjoyable side benefit . . ."
> 
> "Indomitable focus?"
> 
> "Presumably, I have yet to see it dominated. I imagine the sight would be . . . fascinating."
> 
> Both the Solas romance and The Iron Bull masochistic relationship remind me of a conversation Cole has with Solas about spirit binding:
> 
> Cole: “It’s not abuse if I ask.”
> 
> Solas: “Not always true.”


End file.
